Christo

Rating:
Summary: Just plain nuts, or genius?
Review: Marina Vaizey is well qualified as an editor to co-author a book with Christo; she's a much-published art editor.

Christo's work struck me at first as just plain nuts. Wrap a bridge in cloth? Surround an island with pink, floating plastic? Run a fence for miles? Stack oil drums into a mountain? Then I saw the photos of the Key Biscayne islands, each emerald drop surrounded by a flamingo pink halo and I got it. This is art on a monumental scale. And the temporary nature of it makes it even more special; to see these works most people must rely on photos or sketches of the proposed concept by Christo; the actual work of art only exists for a short period of time and of course by nature, cannot travel to exhibitions. How I wish I could have flown over the Keys to see their complete transformation by this incredible artist. Once you study the photos and drawings in this book, you'll have a great idea of Christo's unique genius and the role of his partner Jeanne-Claude (who only recently began to gain credit for her part in his work.)

There aren't enough books on Christo, so this is an important work. Don't miss it.